- RSS FeedSubscribe
- « Previous PostThe Writer's Life
- Next Post »Free Stuff Fridays
A La Carte (4/9)
- 04/09/10
- 7
The African Christian University - Conrad Mbewe posts about an exciting development in Africa. “We have a dream. As Reformed Baptist churches in Zambia grow, a number of our churches have sensed a pull—we believe it is a divine pull—to start a university in Lusaka. God seems to have brought just the right team together in order to realise this dream.”
Phil Johnson on Warren & Piper - Phil Johnson has some great things to say about John Piper’s invitation to Rick Warren. I think what he says is very fair. “Warren’s private reassurances to John Piper shouldn’t trump the fact that he does not actually preach the gospel plainly, boldly, thoroughly, unashamedly, and in a way that is faithful to the Word of God. If he privately believes something other than what he has said in his books and sermons, that makes him more culpable as a hypocrite. His belief is better than his practice? Let’s not make that sound heroic.”
Humor Can Get Through - Ray Ortlund posts a good cartoon.
Walmart’s Growth - This is an amazing timeline tracing the dominance of Walmart.
7 Miles - A sermon jam featuring a sermon from Matt Chandler:
PIXELS: - Far less edifying, this video is quite amusing, especially if you’re just about my age.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
Releasing on April 1, The Next
Published in 2008, this book
This is a guide that calls men,
This review of the bestselling
New to the site? You can get
This is a guide written
Comments (7)
“His belief is better than his practice? Let’s not make that sound heroic.” - There’s not a true believer on the planet whose belief is not better than his practice.
There’s not a true believer on the planet whose belief is not better than his practice.
Of course not. But I think Phil’s point is that this isn’t typically something we celebrate.
Tim,I’ve seen the 7 Miles video recently, and really loved it. But I found that when I shared it online, some people thought Matt was speaking out against the resurrection. I went back and watched it again, and understand why folks could come away with that perception if they were unfamiliar with Matt. Had you gotten feedback like this from anyone else>Dave
First off all, Phil is to be commended for denouncing the vitriolic, personal critics of Piper regarding this decision.
However, having grown up in Fundamentalism, Phil Johnson’s response sounds all too familiar. His post is littered with the conceptual equivalents of “if you don’t denounce things or people in the way in which we think you should denounce them” as well as “it’s not simply what you say, but what you don’t say.” This viewpoint, coupled with a poor use of the standard secondary separation passage in 2 Thess 3, is simply incorrect. I find this viewpoint ironic, especially from the likes of Johnson, who, for all intents & purposes is an independent Baptist, which is not exactly the polity of connectionalism.
That being said, while Warren’s philosophy of ministry isn’t my cup of tea, Warren himself has expressed concerns over his church’s need to disciple better. Warren is changing & his trajectory is improving.
At the end of the day, Johnson’s post smacks too much of the same old song of the Categorical Imperative of Separation, that is, Separation is the New Fundamental. It’s Piper’s conference & he may invite whom he wishes, even if we wish he would invite others.
The Walmart animation is awesome. I wrote about it yesterday… what if there was an animation like that tracking the growth of the gospel (minus apostate Christianity) throughout the ages. I love how it starts of so insignificant and then spreads like an invasive species across the map. Likewise, the gospel.
Also, that 7 Miles video was great. There is no middle ground really, is there? Either this whole thing (Christianity) is a crock, or it is the truth of God. But there’s no fence-sitting.
Phil Johnson started his article out well, but it went down hill from there. In classic fundamentalist form, somehow EVERY issue ties in with the problems of charismatics, women, and lack of separation.
So what if women have tended to comment on his FB page attacking Piper? Most of the attacking comments I’ve seen have been by men. And the point is? Men and women are sinners. That attitude in both is sinful, but it has nothing whatsoever to do with 1 Timothy 2:12. Having an opinion, and even expressing it on Facebook in an unwise manner, is NOT teaching men in the church and not the point of Paul’s instruction in 1 Timothy. And the last time I checked, the commands to respect elders and not bring a charge against them lightly pertained equally to men and women. Regardless, that issue is completely beside the point. It does not pertain to the validity of Piper inviting Warren.
Confusing the issue with needless attacks on charismatics and women hurt Johnson’s case, they don’t help it.
Dave, you may want to check out the whole sermon, 4/12/2009, The Call To Mission
or read the transcript: PDF